The French presidency stated on Monday that the referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty in Turkey, which Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is prepared for, would represent a “break with European values”.
The day after Turks voted in favor of expanding Erdogan’s powers through a referendum, the French presidency announced that potentially “organizing a referendum on the death penalty would mark a break with European values and Turkey’s engagement within the Council of Europe”.
>>>Turkey is transitioning to a presidential system, Erdogan’s mandate open until 2029.
Paris recorded information about “numbers, as well as objections and remarks” regarding the referendum following yesterday’s vote, according to the statement.
“Turkey’s values and engagement within the Council of Europe should bring Turkish authorities closer to a free and honest dialogue with all participants in political and social life,” France believes.
Turkey abolished the death penalty in 2004 as part of its efforts to join the European Union.
